rloyd wiegam



S. L. WIEGAND.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Oct. 3., 1864.

@www l [Specification forming pnrtoflett To aLl-whom itlmay concern.' ,A Be it known that I, S. 'LLOYD WIEGAND, of

the city of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsyl-l venia, have invented certa-in new endruseful improvements in engines for producing-inotive power by the explosion of mixtures oiinflammablegas andair; andl do hereby declare that the following is a. full and exact 4descrip-- ,tion thereof, reference beinghadvto-the drawings annexed and lmaking part of this specifi` cetionnnd theA letters of reference marked thereon.

The nafure'oi' my invention consists in pro-l ltecting the'jo'int of the piston or plunger ot' the en gine from the deposit of carbon which is precipitated from illnrninatinggas whenl imperfectly consumed,fand'a1so in regulatingthe velocity of such Venginerby af system ormethod which economizes the gas-supply, and at the same time renders the motion of the en;

gine Inore nearly uniform than has heretofore beenfv done, besides' which, improvements involving general methodsof operetion,there are other minor improvementsin' detail of con-- 'structiom'which facilitateend' thus cheapen the cost of 'manufacture' and improve` the4 durability ofthe epperntus. j 1 l Figure lis an elevation ofthe side ofthe engine. Fig: 2 is an elevation 'of the'front of the engine. Fig.'3is e'fplen-fofjthe engine.' Figi 4 isha. section of the cylinder ,'B and val ves. The remaining lgures representperts of the engine in detail, `andere hereinafter deL sfri-bed y c l -A and A' `are hollow plu-nger's, which iit'in cylinders'B aind'B', and 'are made Vnir :or ges tight by' ineens-of n .packing 'atwG yend C',

these pistons or plun gers and A' are guided in their rectilinear motion by the rods or stems D and D', fastened to A and A',.and fitting in the hollow guides or tubes E and E'. Upon fthe joints formed by the packing at U and C'7 against the plungersA and A',"I introduce a. supply of some uid of greater specific gravity 'l than the carbon deposit which'ls precipitated` by the imperfect combustion. of i1 uminatin gas. The action of this fluid is threefold: -lfirs it keeps thejointair-tight; second,it lubricetes the joint; third, it onts Aoii from the joint a.

sedimentorprecipitate, which would other.

wise wear out and impair the-surfaces of the packingand plunger.;- Thesejpistons-.A and l l; i s torn wiEGANngor i5iiifrnlonnner vers 4Pai-tent No;1 October/ii.1643nntedated' septembr'leasm, f

are connected by rods .F and F' to the ernnks G and G', which are formed diemetrically-opposite inl the shaft H,"a.nd upon mixl. tures of air and gas being alternately exploded .1n the cylinders B and. B', rotary motion is imparted to'the'shaft H by the rods F and F' and the cranks G and G', in e manner fsmiliar` toevery` machinist. -l andl'nre ily-wheels for the purpose of equeli-zing the rotative motion of the .shaft H, which 'would otherwise be impulsive and unsteady. The rims or periph' eriesof the iiy-wheels I and. l' are nnide broad,vso es to answer the purpose of band. wheels or machinery.

VThe gas is'adinitted into the 'cylinders by mea-ns ofthe partially rotative valves K and K,which receive motion from e compound com, L,np0n the shaft H, .through the inediumfof the roller M upon the lever N,V working theI y rod O, connectedfwi th the rock-'arm P uponv i the shaft-Q, which, by the Vcoupling-shoft R', 'f oigrerntesv the valve K, and bythe ine-.ins ofl theroller M' upon the rook-.arm N' upon-the rock-shaft P' bearing et its other extremity the rock-erm il", moving the rod O', connected with the rock-erm S, forming part of tile tubular couplingsheft R', operates the-valve K', the gasinv passing into the cylinder of the engine mingles with air'in themanner which is shown inlFig.4,'which shows the cylinder and valves in section; g'lhe-jet-tubes T in the Avalves Kfandgl' have; around them a.' space communicetingwitn-tlientn1os1 here, endnpon gas passlngxthrough-the tubes `T in the direct-ionof the arrow, currents of nir ereinducedy `to.ilow-witlrit throngh'the inductionport U into-the cylinder B.

The eduction or` exhaust valves Vuand are tubes, and have slotsl or ports Xgwhich communicate between the interior or" the cylinder and the tube when the valves V and V' are rotated to suoli n position asto cause the slot X' to coincide with the exhaust-port X `of the cylinder B. This will be seenv most easily in The exhaustfvalves V end V" are connected together by means of e .hollow coupling-shaft, Y, which, while it transmits rotative motion, permits a. slight variation inthe axial lines of the valves- This ,Shaft Y at thefsaine time' forms e connection` from the -vs-.lve V to the pulleys for imparting motion to valve V', which in turn is connected tothe escape-pipe Z, and the hollow rock-shaft 1t forms a communication from the valve K' to the valve K, but imparts motion to uthe valve K' only. Thus it will Ahe seen that a. communication from the supply pipe a is established through the vulve K' and the rockshaft R to the valve K. i

b and b represent conducting points, which convey an electriccurrent from the wires c and and j' are composed in whole`or`inpart of some electrical non-conducting snhstancmso 'that vthe current transmitted through the wires aand c can only' be` conveyed away .by the points b and ll when in contact with .the insulated wires c and e'. l

. The exhaust-valves are operated'hyamech anism Aconsisting of a couplizig-shaft,g,und*

rock-shaft h, having clever, i, secured' upon it and operated by therod 1r, which rod k is movedby anarm, l, one. rcckshaft, m, which`4 describes an are nearly cr'quite seinicirvulnr.-

The etiect of the semicircular motion of the rock-shaft m is to give the'rod k and the parte operated thereby a very-rapid motion during the middle of the stroke lund 'a very slow motion neer the commencement and termination ofthe stroke, 4which eifect is highly de- Birablc, because the vulves V and .V' are opened and. closed quickly, and have -vcry little motion during the stroke of the piston when` the valves are subjected to pressure;

`Mnch of the'ljfric'tion und the consequent wear of the valves which would otherwise occur is thus svoided.-v A y .The rock-shaft' lm receives motion bymea-ns oi the` arms n and o, which are connected byv the short links'p and q to the rod r, worked by an eccentric cr crank pin, s, upon `the wheel li.v It will vbev seen upon inspection that the short linke are in central lengthv equal to the distance between the centers of the pins by which theyare attached tothe rod l'.' The combined e'e'ct of the levers or arms n and o and short links p and q is tol give a much greater angular velocity to tho rock-shattm 'during the middle of its throw than would be due to a connection of the Trod r made to an erm or lever with the center of attachment' of the rod 'r in a position midwayin the are described by arms u und o.

The minipound earn L is shown enlarged in Figs' end il, and the principal ldetails of it nre shown separately in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and il. It conszsts ci a cam, t, secured upon the shaft H, and raising a hub, c,.upon which ts e cem, r, so es te he susceptible of rotation. Uponthe hub 1:, securely fastened the ratchet-w'neel w, into which a pawl, c, fastened to the cam o, catches whenever any pressure is exerted by the rollers M or M', (shown iu'Fig.

1,) upon the pawi 1:, thus compelling the cmu o to rotnte with the ratchet w but whenever the pavfl :r is relieved of the pressure, the springv z lifts A the pawl a: ont of the teeth oi w, and the cum c is free to rotate upon the hub u. When the rollers M and M bear upon `,the larger part of the cam t, the valves K and and K are closed sooner or' later in the stroke cording tothe position in which' c may be. There is a projectionupon the cam c, (marked and the levers, rods, and rock-shui ts und valves therewith connected, so far as to cause contact of the conducting-points b and b' with the insulated wires eandie' immediately after theL closing of the valves K and K', The position of the cam v relatively to the cam t is controlled by a centrifugal .governor A consisting of two weights, 2 and 3, `connecte( to eachother by the lever 4, which forms a part of the .weight 3,- and a link, 5, which, by.

from t-he shaftH, move the cam-v by means'of thelink 6,connected at one end by the piny to the cam u, and at the other end to the lever 8, which formsapart of the-weight or ball 2. The centrifugal forceof the, weigh ts 2 and Sis counieracted by a spring, 9, connected byalink, 10, to theeweight 3, and thus' the position of the canrV is regulated and controlled by the vari ations which moyoccurfinthevelocityof the engine, changingthe point ofequilbrium vbctweeu the centrifugal force of the weights 2 .and 3' and the elasticity of thespring 9, and by the variations which thus occur in the position of the cem c the point of closing of the valves K'and K in-thestroke of the pistons A and A' is varied and controlled, while at the same time the govern or vis protected from changes in position by the resistance made bythe friction land'rutchet w. The eect-of this governing of the point of closing of the valve is an ecouin. the velocity of the engine. The rollers M and M' are kept in contact with the cam L by means of springs -11 and 12,applied to the co'nnesting-rods O and O', by which the valves are worked. A4Thesame effect may be'accomplished by means of weights, but not so well as by springs. An advantage is realized by control'- ling the duration of the dow of gas and air to the cylinder by means of a regulator, because the relative proportions ot" air and 'gas enterl'ug and mixing in the cylinder are maintained uniformly the same, which would not be. the case were thelpressure of gas varied by means of a throttlevalve, as it is well-known that the curreu ts ofair induced by central jets of gas or air in tubes .do not in volume or velocity correspond with the pressure `and velocity ofthe central jet in a direct and uniform ratio.

The cylinders B and B' of; this engine4 are made with double walls, and han a water ein K. are closed, and open when they hear' upon the smaller part of the cam. The vulves K f ot' the pistons'A. und A', by the cam c, ac-

I in Fig. 9,) which moves the rollers M und M" their centrifugal force moving them outward v of the valve-gearing by 'means of the puwl .r v

omy inthe consumption of gas, and regularity gas and air'n the index', ine engine regains same operation taking place in the cylinder BY the valves V and V f lars of vulcanized indie-rubber;

vend 1li.

culation between their walls for tlie purpose of cooling themas may be seen` upon reference to Fig. 4. The electric current used for igniting the gas is produced from erunsenbeatery and a. Rum korf coil connected therewith,

the purpose eirand gas ilow in togetherin thecylinder A, when the valve K closes and e'currentof electricity through the insuletedfwire c ignites the cylinder IBV and propels the piston A through the Y balance of the stroke. When the engine exceeds in velocity that with which it is designed to run, the com c closes the valve K earlier in" the stroke end admits a smaller quantity of ges, and when ille-velocity diminishes the com 'v' moves backend allows e larger supply of gas to enier the cylalternctely with the cylinder B therotetive motion 'of the shaft is continued. AThe exhaustvalves V and V cent; of the respective pistonsin che-cylinders with which they are connected., 'The products of combustion generated inthe cylinders `escape to the pipeZ. Any deposit ofceroou which Vmoy be precipitated in the cylinders iionts ofi' upon the top of the uid. contained in them through "the exhaust-valves and out of the pipe Z. ,l y i.

The connections'of the coupliugshaft Y and and valvesK and K' end conplingRere made ges-tight by means of colbut they may be mede tight by ineens of smiling-boxes.

rig. 1e exhibits a modificarne of this inven' tion in 'the construction of the i plonger, by which meensjt'he cylinder becomes cylinder and doubleacting. 1l is the` cylinder in the np-` er port, having e water-jacket, 16, and valve Beet for induction end' edu'ction, (marked 22 end flend'inductionend educhionjp'orts 18 ,neclsed securely .to the pieton realizo, and Wolfi;-

piston A, oeing up', com-` mences to descend and the exhaust-valve V closes and the induction-valve K opens and packingaing 15V.` Thus for es described itdoes not differ maize"L rielly'from the form previously specified. Bef low-the cylinder ll is another, (inerkcd 12,)

ing oir-tight through the the plunger 13' works, and having e water, space, 17, for-refrigerct-ing purposes, andina duction and eduction velve seats l24. end 25 and induction and ednction' poripsfo and 2l, which perform the seme functions .underneath the plunger es those in .the cylinder 1l doi; above it. By filling one groove ire-with c fluid speci iicall y heavier giron the depositof metterits velocity, and the.

remain open during the :is

13 shows the pistou or plunger conresulting from imperfect comlmsliontlueworlr;` ing joint of the plungeror piston. is protected from-.injury therefrom. It is obvious to ein@ skilled engineer thai-)this form of eylinderend; piston is donele-cicciog;u Y What claim es my invention, and deisig'q,` to secure escuela by Letters Patent, is. `l Protecting thepiston, o r its equivalen@ .from deposits of residnum in the eyiinderblyv ineens of e :Huid of greater specic ,g'rzfeviisyfA than' the reeiduum', substen'tially in the-mank '.ner shown and'described. 1 2. Combining the cenductingelecrrics points or circuit-closing apparatus-With 'the Valve-gear so the@ the circuit is' elosedeftczjE closing the valve, substantially shown and?? described. 'M 1 3. Combining the regulator with the' induei .tion-valves sofas to regulate the dura-tiene@ flow of gos andeir or other explosive' mixtnrf tof-.the cylinder, or its equivalent, by theyre@ locity of the engine, and thus to control their velocity of' the engine, substantially in thef manner shown and described. V el. The iuductiomvelves, When constructed-- and used substantially as described. 5. The reduction-valves, when consu-nomi; and used substantially as described. f 6. Importing motion to the valves ioy ineen@ of the coupling-shafts, in the rnennerliereiiiizgiefg` fore sel: forth' and-described.

s.- nLorn Weense-,ig

- "Witnesses: Islmc H. Strnnnenc coizmeiningv an annular groove, 14, intowhfich.: 

